It’s now mid-October, the heart of the fall season. Days are shorter and darker, and unfortunately this means some people’s moods will get darker too.

If you’ve ever noticed that you get gloomy as the days get shorter, psychologists say the reasons may be chemical.

“A lot of people associate it with change in light,” NIU psychology professor James Corwin said.

Corwin said the problem could stem from the fact that as days get shorter, people are exposed to less sunlight, which could cause depression.

“More recently, evidence shows bright light is linked to creation of serotonin, which is a natural anti-depressant,” said Michael Flora, president and chief executive officer of DeKalb’s Ben Gordon Center for mental health.

Flora said that between the months of September and May, when there is a decrease in sunlight, the incidences of depression increase. The lack of sunlight during those seasons also causes an increase in the body’s production of the hormone melatonin, which causes drowsiness.

Psychologists have a name for depression caused by seasonal changes. It is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Peter Gutierrez, an assistant professor of psychology at NIU, said SAD is a sub-type of major depression, where depressive symptoms get worse when there is less daylight.

Treatment for SAD includes the usual treatment for depression – medication and psychotherapy – and light therapy. Flora said that light is measured in units called lux. Light therapy exposes the patient to about 500 lux.

“An average living room will be around 100 lux,” Flora said.

Flora said 7 million Americans suffer from depression each year. Ten percent of the population suffers from the “winter blues” and two percent suffers from SAD. Statistically, more women are likely to seek help for depression than men.

For information, call the Ben Gordon Center at 756-4875.